Agreed - headlights are generic parts.  Treat the bike as a collection of parts, and don't sweat trying to get an exact replacement. 

If you do want to replace like-for-like, and ChineseMotorcyclePartsOnline don't have the Lifan part, then many Yamaha XVS250 parts should fit.

Before I start stripping, can anyone provide info on what carb and jet I should expect to find?  I believe the Yamaha XV250 has a Mikuni 26mm carb with a 110 main jet as standard, but I can't even confirm that for certain.  My bike is running lean; is anyone running a custom jetting solution?

Presumably his bike cut out again in the middle of nowhere and he didn't make it home...

There's a Yamaha XV250 manual online here.

Does your model have a side stand cutout switch?  If so, that's the first thing I'd check.  Pop it off, give it a good clean, check the condition of the wiring, and try bypassing it - sorry, I don't know which wires to short, but there won't be that many combinations to try.

If I can hear you cheering from up here in Glasgow, I'll know that's sorted it.

Hi Abilene.  Sorry, I'm not familiar with any particular problem with the C250 starters, so I'm afraid it'll need some diagnosis.  

1) Are your lights working OK when the engine isn't running?  If not, then it's likely that your main fuse has blown, and that the bike is running off of the alternator, rather than the battery.  You can just replace the fuse (it should be under the seat, near to the battery +ve terminal) and away you go.

2) Find the starter motor casing.  I don't know exactly where it's placed on your engine, but it should be a fat cylinder on top of the crankcase.  Find the terminals on it.  Check them for corrosion, or loose wires.

3) OK, so the wiring and terminals seem sound, and so you've got lights, but no starter.  It's time to buy yourself a cheap multimeter (or a 12v voltage tester), for a few $$$.  A multimeter is a great investment, and really quite easy to use - YouTube has plenty of "how to use a multimeter" instructionals.

You'll want to use it to check for voltage at the following places:

3.1) Across the battery terminals.  This is a double check that it's not just a dead battery, and to check that you're using the meter correctly.  You should see 12.5V or so.

3.2) Across the starter terminals when you press the starter button.  If there's voltage across the terminals but the starter doesn't turn, then the fault is internal to the starter and it needs to be stripped or replaced.

3.3) If there's no voltage across the starter terminals, then you'll have to trace the wiring back and see if you can find the problem.  Next port of call is the starter switch itself.  With the switch not pressed, there should be 12V between one of the starter switch terminals and earth (the bike's chassis).  If there's no voltage at either switch terminal, then the wiring between the battery and the starter switch is faulty - you'll just have to trace it back to find the break.

3.4) With the starter switch pressed, you should have 12V (between the terminal and earth) at both switch terminals.  Alternatively, use the continuity (aka diode) mode on the multimeter to check for continuity across the starter switch terminals with the switch pressed.  If there's only voltage at 1 terminal (and no continuity between them) then the switch is faulty and needs stripped or replaced.

3.5) If the voltage at the switch terminals seems good, then you'll have to trace the wiring from there to the starter motor to see if you can find a break in it.

I know that's not the answer that you want to hear, and electrics can seem pretty daunting at first, especially if you don't have a wiring diagram.  But it's either that, or take it to a mechanic and pay him or her to go through the same process.  I do hope it's just a simple wiring fault and that you find and fix it easily.

Resurrecting this thread, the exhaust on my 16 month old LF250-B is pretty corroded underneath.  It's been stored outside and ridden in winter (aaargh, road salt) but I'm still surprised: I suspect there's little or no coating on the unchromed parts of the exhaust.  It's definitely something to keep on top of.

Is that a LF250 / LF250-B?  It's a cruiser, so the front end should be quite soft.

I'm not sure what you mean by shaky and loose.  If there's any wobble or vibration, then the forks may be bent or not attached securely at the top, or the front axle may be loose.

If the bike dives hard, or doesn't feel damped when it rebounds, then thicker oil might help.  On the other hand, it could just be that some of the oil has leaked out; is there any evidence of oil leaking from around the seals at the bottom of the forks?

Conceivably the springs have snapped.  Or they may simply be too soft for the bike.  You can pre-load them: there's a tensioning insert inside the top of the fork, basically a steel tube that pre-compresses the spring.  You can replace them with longer tubes to compress the spring more.

I'm sorry that I can't be more specific, sight unseen.  This is one of these things that needs some investigation.  Do you have a friend with some bike experience who can look at it for you, and narrow down the cause?